Avoidant Personality Disorder Treatment Center in Atlanta, GA

Our team of experienced, licensed therapists and mental health professionals specialize in addiction and mental health recovery. Ben Dobbs, our Executive Director, struggled with addiction for 15 years before he found recovery.

His professional experience includes serving as a group facilitator and program coordinator. He has worked for some of the South’s top substance abuse and mental health treatment centers. With those experiences, Ben now has more than a decade of service in the addiction treatment field.

Also, our client testimonials and reviews show how beneficial treatment at The Summit Wellness Group can be. We pride ourselves in the services we provide. Hearing from our clients how impactful our programs and staff have been on their journey through recovery speaks for itself.

Whether the reviews are good or bad, we consider every person’s thoughts. We hold ourselves accountable for continuously improving our practices and listening to our client’s suggestions. Our goal is to provide you with the treatment you need.

Avoidant personality disorder (AVPD) causes individuals to internalize the actions of others as a personal attack against their character. The fear of rejection and loneliness can make daily life difficult. Feelings of extreme social inhibition, inadequacy, and sensitivity to rejection characterize AVPD.

For individuals struggling with an avoidant personality disorder, we offer comprehensive programs that target all aspects of recovery.

Our day treatment is completed through a partial hospitalization program (PHP). This is the highest level of care we offer. This program requires that our clients spend at least 30 hours a week in our substance abuse treatment program and return home afterward.

Avoidant Personality Disorder (AVPD) emerges from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and environmental factors, making it a multifaceted condition that cannot be attributed to a single cause.

• Research suggests that genetic predisposition plays a significant role at its biological core, with some individuals inheriting a vulnerability to developing the disorder.
  
  This genetic component often manifests as temperamental traits such as heightened sensitivity or behavioral inhibition from an early age. Additionally, studies have identified potential neurobiological differences in brain regions responsible for processing fear, social interactions, and emotional regulation.

• Environmental factors, particularly early life experiences, play a crucial role in the development of AVPD. Childhood trauma, including emotional abuse, neglect, physical abuse, or persistent bullying, can significantly impact an individual’s psychological development and social functioning.

• The parenting environment also plays a vital role, with overprotective, critical, or emotionally unavailable parents potentially contributing to the development of avoidant patterns. Repeated experiences of social rejection, humiliation, or criticism during formative years can establish deep-seated patterns of avoidance and social withdrawal.

• Psychological factors form another critical dimension in the development of AVPD. Individuals often develop negative self-beliefs and cognitive patterns that reinforce their avoidant behaviors. These patterns typically include heightened sensitivity to criticism, perfectionist tendencies, and profound fears of judgment or rejection.

• Low self-esteem becomes deeply ingrained, leading to a persistent pattern of avoiding social situations and opportunities for connection. Over time, these avoidance behaviors become learned responses, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that can be difficult to break.

• Cultural influences and life events can also contribute significantly to the development and maintenance of AVPD. Societal pressures, competitive environments, and the increasing influence of social media can exacerbate feelings of inadequacy and social anxiety. Traumatic experiences in adulthood, major life transitions, and relationship difficulties can further reinforce avoidant patterns and beliefs about oneself and others.

The maintenance of AVPD often occurs through a self-perpetuating cycle. When individuals avoid social situations, they experience temporary relief from anxiety, which reinforces the avoidance behavior.

However, this avoidance prevents them from developing social skills, gaining positive social experiences, or challenging negative beliefs. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where expectations of rejection lead to defensive behaviors, creating actual social difficulties and confirming the original negative beliefs.

Understanding these various causes is crucial for effective treatment planning. Treatment typically involves a comprehensive approach that addresses multiple causal factors simultaneously. Psychotherapy can help process underlying trauma and modify negative thought patterns, while gradual exposure to social situations can help break the cycle of avoidance.

Social skills training may benefit those who have missed opportunities to develop these skills naturally. In some cases, medication might be prescribed to address concurrent anxiety or depression.

Early intervention is particularly important in preventing the entrenchment of avoidant patterns. The more ingrained these patterns become, the more challenging they can be to modify. However, with appropriate treatment that addresses the multiple contributing factors, individuals with AVPD can make significant progress in developing healthier social relationships and a more positive self-image.

Our therapies benefit individuals struggling with an avoidant personality disorder. To begin with, therapy addresses the underlying psychological, social, and societal issues contributing to the condition.

Therapy also improves mental health and personal relationships by teaching social skills training, understanding your unique personality traits, and addressing other underlying mental health conditions, if needed. We promote overall lifestyle improvement. We aim to help individuals regain control of their lives. We believe therapy lays the foundation for a healthier and more fulfilling life. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that can be effective in treating avoidant personality disorder. We start by addressing the negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to use, leading to CBT helping clients develop coping strategies to overcome their condition.

CBT also helps clients identify triggers, and therapists can provide tools to manage the triggers related to their personality disorder symptoms. Lastly, CBT can help clients develop healthy life skills, such as stress management, problem-solving, and social support, leading to long-term recovery and quality of life.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). It was initially developed to treat individuals struggling with borderline personality disorder and suicidal ideation. However, DBT has since been modified to treat various issues, including substance abuse and other mental health disorders.

The main goal of DBT is to help clients build a life they feel is worth living, especially since so many individuals who undergo DBT are suicidal or have lost hope that things will get better. This type of therapy is more specialized in allowing clients to change their thoughts and actions to align with their goals.

Motivational Interviewing

In addition to CBT’s benefits to clients, motivational interviewing is also a helpful approach for individuals struggling with mental health issues. Motivational interviewing involves a nonjudgmental and empathetic conversation with a therapist to help increase our clients’ motivation to change their behaviors.

By exploring each individual’s values, goals, and concerns, this talk therapy approach identifies and reinforces self-determination to begin making more positive changes. With guidance, clients gain insights into their social contacts, social phobias, and any possible social anxiety disorder symptoms. With this approach, clients have the majority ownership in the recovery process as they work to achieve personal goals.

Family Therapy

Family therapy involves family members joining in the therapy process to address avoidant personality disorders and addiction within the family. This form of treatment aims to identify the underlying issues or concerns that led to the avoidant personality disorder, and working together, clients and family members develop strategies as a unit using current insights. Open communication and collaborative coping skills for all stakeholders are encouraged during this therapy for effective treatment.

Holistic Therapy

Holistic Therapy is an alternative treatment service that focuses on the whole person, not just mental illness-related symptoms. Our therapists consider our clients’ physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being, allowing them to achieve balance and develop coping skills. We use several holistic therapy services, including yoga, massage, fitness, nutrition, and more.

There are several different types of personality disorders. Each one has specific symptoms and markers. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is used for diagnosing mental disorders. 

They include the following:

• Antisocial personality disorder forces individuals not to feel remorse for their actions against others. Some common tendencies are to lie, behave violently, and suffer from a substance abuse disorder (SUD). 
  
  
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD) causes pervasive instability in social relationships, self-image, and mood. BPD can also cause individuals to risk impulsive actions without fear of harm or consequence. Individuals with BPD may also struggle with anger management and engage in self-harm or suicidal behavior and feelings of emptiness or worthlessness.
  
  
• Dependent personality disorder is unlike an avoidant personality disorder. It is characterized by a need to be surrounded by others, which comforts the individual. However, it is less about the companionship of others and more about others validating their presence. 
  
  
• Histrionic personality disorder is the need to be consistently praised and complimented. Even if the person hasn’t done anything remarkable, they feel empowered by recognition.
  
  
• Narcissistic Personality Disorder is similar to histrionic personality disorder in that the need for praise is constant. However, narcissistic individuals brag about themselves to others to the point of obsession. Regardless of how big or small an accomplishment, task, or deed they complete, they will share with others. 
  
  
• Obsessive compulsive personality disorder has similarities to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Rather than a fixation on the perfection of objects or daily routines, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is self-perfection. This can result in obsessing over physical appearance, a rigid or stubborn personality when working with others, and preoccupation with self-control and perception.
  
  
• Paranoid personality disorder causes individuals to distrust or constantly worry about others’ thoughts, feelings, and actions. These behaviors are present even if the individual has established long-term relationships.
  
  
• Schizoid personality disorder differs from other personality disorders in that individuals refrain from developing attachments with others. They cannot establish an emotional connection with others, including family members.
  
  
• Schizotypal personality disorder creates a fictional world in individuals’ minds. They believe in a magical existence and think they are clairvoyant.

Even though living with avoidant personality disorder can be difficult, learning coping skills to manage the symptoms can improve health, daily functions, and social relationships. The goal is to build healthier relationships and become self-reliant.

Take the first step by contacting The Summit Wellness Group’s avoidant personality disorder treatment center in Atlanta, GA. You or your loved one will gain access to a welcoming treatment center, support groups, and resources to help you begin the journey to recovery and an overall healthy lifestyle. 

Call us 24/7 at 770-299-1677 or fill out our contact form, and a member of our admissions team will contact you shortly.